A Lifetime in 10 Weeks
by AgoodWITCH
Summary: Formerly the fat kids at camp, Bella & Edward return having shed the extra weigh & are ready for what the summer holds. Will the pressure of new-found popularity be too much for them to take, or will love win out? Written for Camp Twilight Contest


**A/N: Okay, this was a story that popped in my head as soon as I heard about this contest. Now, although I vacation in North Carolina, I'm at the opposite end of the state and am taking HUGE liberties with the Smoky Mountain area because it was just too perfect a setting. Thanks for the support and remember to come back for the public vote on August 14****th**** thru the 20****th**** at **http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2060377/Camp_Twilight_Contest

**Super thanks to MaWitch, for taking the time to beta this as I was kissing the deadline, and to ACullenWannabe, glad to have you back…it didn't feel the same writing without you!**

**I had a lot of fun working some personal teen angst into this one so I hope enough time has passed to make it entertaining! Hope you enjoy and please leave me some love~**

**BPOV**

I'd never been as nervous as I was seeing my Greyhound bus turn onto the familiar stretch of highway that would lead to the Waynesville, NC station. It was there that I would get picked up for the hour-long drive into the mountains on the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the place I had spent the last four summers, Valley Amid the Mighty Peaks Camp, or as the campers called it, Camp VAMP.

So much about this year was different though. First, I was 16, which meant a lot of the restrictions they had for younger campers no longer applied. I would have more free time and would be able to choose from more of the activities. But the biggest change would come as soon as the bus stopped and Jasper and Rosalie Hale saw me. Because over the past year, puberty and a very controlled workout of walking and minor weight lifting had turned perennial puffball 'Belly Swan' into a girl who had more than one curve.

Fed up with being teased by everyone who had ever seen me, my step-dad Phil had come up with a basic workout plan for me that even my uncoordinated body couldn't mess up and add in to that hormones and a growth spurt, I finally cleared 5' and made it all the way to 5'4", left me a little soft, but definitely much improved from last summer. Plus, my boobs _finally_ came in, so that helped with the male population.

But now I was facing the kids who had seen me in all my chubby glory for four years and were unlikely to change their view of me now, and even scarier was the thought of seeing Edward.

Let me back up for a second, Edward Masen was my best friend. We'd met at camp and became instant friends over the ice cream sundae table. We were both the heavy kids at camp and bonded over that something fierce. It almost made up for the 14-hour bus ride from Florida that I went through every year since I was 13, after I insisted that I wanted to go back to the camp I'd found during our one year in North Carolina. Edward and I became best friends and he'd even been my first kiss as we said good-bye that first summer. During the year, we'd email and talk on the phone and he told me that he'd started running track this year and even made the baseball team, telling me that he too had shed some of his 'huskiness' as he called it. So now I was about to face my best friend for the first time since we'd 'thinned out' and I was terrified. What if losing the weight meant that we wouldn't need each other? I mean he'd gone jock on me! I hated the thought of him running off with Mike and Tyler and them and getting left behind. I knew that where he could make friends over sports I'd still be seen as the fat girl, because there weren't as many areas where I could make friends.

As the bus pulled to a stop I perked up, running to the front with my backpack and getting off to get my two duffle bags as I searched for the two heads of blonde hair that would lead to my two favorite counselors. But instead of blonde hair, I came face to face with the all too familiar mop of messy bronze hair sitting atop a now 6' tall Edward.

As I skidded to a stop, my eyes raked over his body and I realized just how much he'd been modest about his transformation. What had once been round and soft, had given way to a more angular jaw and a serious set of muscles. His t-shirt clung to his biceps and ghosted over his pecs and abs driving me crazy that I'd have to wait until we were at the lake to see just how buff my bff had become.

"Bella?" My eyes shot up to meet the astonished look on his face as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Holy shit!" I didn't have to look up to know that Rosalie had found us as she was the only counselor that didn't care about cursing in front of her favorite campers. "Look at you, sister. We'll be beating them off with a stick this summer, won't we Jazzy?"

"If I can talk her into spending time with me at the PA building instead of running off into the woods with some lucky boy." Jasper sauntered over and took my bags walking over to the van and throwing them in the back as Rosalie wrapped me in a hug and walked me over to the van with a slack-jawed Edward in tow. Once my bags were secured, Jasper gave me a patented Southern Comfort hug that let me know I was home for the summer. When they walked to the front of the van, Edward opened the sliding door and finally pulled me into a tight hug of his own.

"How's my Swan?" And there it was the greeting I'd been waiting for. Edward had learned quickly that everyone made fun of me by calling me Belly instead of Bella, so he'd always called me his Swan, telling me that I would always be beautiful to him, even though I didn't believe him to be truly serious.

"Tired, that's a long ass bus ride." I smiled as he climbed in next to me on the seat in the way back of the van and threw his arm around my shoulder and let me rest my head on him as we started the drive up.

"I'm so stoked about this summer; it's going to be the best ever!" Edward whispered in my ear causing a chill to run down my spine as his breath tickled my ear.

"Yeah, I really excited to spend some more of my free time at the theater." I said through a yawn as I drifted off to sleep.

"Swan, wake up, we're here." The sound of Edward's voice and the gentle shaking of my frame brought me back from the dreamless sleep as we got out of the van and headed off to our bunks.

Luckily, Rosalie had used her powers of persuasion with her aunt and uncle, the directors of the camp, to have me in her bunk and as I walked into cabin 6, I was confronted by what I'm sure was a woodland pixie. "Hi, you must be Bella! Rosalie said she was off to pick up the last camper because you came from hella far away so your bus would come in right before orientation. My name is Alice and I'm in the bunk next to yours, we're going to be, like, bunk buddies!"

Jesus fucking Christ…did she take a breath at any point during that? "Umm…hi."

"You must be tired after that ride, but I'm sure we'll be bff's by the end of the summer."

"It'd be nice to have a girlfriend here, sorry if I'm not more excited, like you said, long ride."

She latched onto my arm and we walked out to the amphitheatre. Halfway there, Edward came up with a raised eyebrow at the bounding midget attached to me like we were members of a chain gang. I motioned with my head for him to join us and introduced them. Alice smiled and waved to him and then continued to drag me towards the outdoor arena. Settling into the stone ledge about halfway down, Alice sat to my right and Edward sat on my left, laughing at the fact that Alice hadn't stopped talking since we'd left the cabin.

A few minutes later, the familiar faces of Carlisle and Esme Cullen stood in the front of the crowd of 150 or so campers and started their annual welcome. It was somewhere around the portion of the lecture on the rich Native American history of the area that led to the camps name that I felt Edward's hand brush my knee.

I looked over and he smiled sheepishly at me before diverting his eyes back to the stage. It wasn't long before the group was dismissed and the counselors stood at the top of the amphitheatre to collect their campers. With a quick wave and a smile, Edward ran up to Jasper as Alice and I found Rosalie so we could head back to get some sleep.

"Bella, wake up! We only have 15 minutes until breakfast." Alice was shaking me violently for someone so tiny, but it was Rose who came to my rescue.

"Alice, you'll learn pretty quickly that Bella is like a viper if you don't let her wake up on her own. Here kitten."

I opened my eyes to see a cup of coffee in her outstretched hand and I sat up and took it. "Thanks Rose, and this year, it isn't even contraband for me."

They both laughed as I looked towards the door, debating the shower I could take. "We're going to the lake first thing after breakfast, so save it for tonight."

With the new information in mind I grabbed my tankini and a pair of shorts and one of the Camp VAMP shirts from last summer and headed to the bathroom.

Walking with Alice to the Mess Hall, we started talking about the camp in general, as she'd never been to sleep away camp before. "You'll love it Alice. As long as you have friends and find activities that you like, you'll be set, like I plan to live at the PA complex with Jasper this summer, you should come, that way we can spend our free units together."

Alice smiled wide at that idea. "You really mean it; you want to hang out with me?"

I nodded as we entered the Mess. "You're a little intense first thing after you wake up, but I like you, and you weren't here before to know about-"

"Belly? Damn looks like you pushed all your rolls into your bra!" Mike Newton shouted and I turned bright red as Tyler Crowley joined in the laughter. Edward shot me an apologetic look from the end of the table and I shrugged and walked with Alice to where Rosalie was sitting with the rest of our cabin. The eight of us sat down with our oatmeal and toast, but I wasn't in much of a mood to eat, so I pushed it around the bowl and took a few bites of toast before clearing my tray and walking with my bunk to the lake.

The way the numbers went, all the girl bunks had even numbers and the boys had odd, so bunks 6 and 7 were the first to sign up for activities at the lake, which was lucky for us as it was the most popular, which meant we got first pick at when we could cool off. Rosalie was a lifeguard, so she would be hanging at the lake a lot, which also meant that my free time could be spent hanging out with her if the AC in the theater went out. The theater was our next stop after the lake and Alice and I quickly jumped at the opportunity to be Jasper's assistants for the various shows that happened over the summer. Beside the big musical, we also had talent nights and things like that where he would need the extra help and I was happy to get the job before someone else could jump on it.

Walking out of the theater on our way to arts and crafts, Alice looked at me and smiled. "I think I'm in love!"

"Wait, what? You don't mean…oh honey, Jasper's off limits. He'd never risk his aunt and uncle losing the camp."

"But it's only a four year age difference." She pouted and I looked over at her.

"How do you figure, he's 21 and we're 16."

"I'll be 17 in October." She smiled back as we went on to make the rest of our sign-ups.

The next few days were hectic with all the activities starting up and Edward signing up to lead nature walks with Emmett, one of the other counselors, during the times I wasn't at the theater with Alice and Jasper. The only time we saw each other was during the block of time we'd both signed up for at the lake and during the sports block, although my lack of any coordination led to Alice and I faking tennis as we talked about our total lack of luck with the guys we were crushing on. While age was twat swatting for Alice, it was Edward's newfound popularity that was keeping me on the outside.

His new athletic ability meant that the guys had accepted him and his looks had all the girls swooning over him. Thankfully, he hadn't started a summer romance yet, but a few girls were holding out for him. The plus of his popularity was that Newton and the guys would only pick on me when he wasn't around, which meant there was a serious decrease in the number of jokes about me.

It was Saturday, 6 days since I'd climbed out of the van that I got the text from Edward. Phones weren't exactly allowed, but if you hid them well, you could manage to not get them confiscated. I opened the phone and saw the message.

**Meet me in the woods behind your cabin after lights out. –E**

My heart pounded in my chest as I read the simple message. Alice peered over my arm and began her telltale bouncing as we ran to the cabin so I could change into some cute tank and shorts pajamas that I would have never worn before this summer. After a quick shower and fussing over my appearance in the mirror, I ran up in time for lights out and then laid in the bed, waiting for Rosalie to fall asleep. She slept by the door with her headphones on so I opted for the open window right near my bed. Alice helped me fix some pillows so it looked like I was under the covers and then waited for me to get out before going to bed herself.

I snuck up the path that led from my cabin to the woods and then a little bit into the forest I stepped off the path so no counselors would see me if they were on a sweep of the grounds while I waited for Edward. Fifteen minutes later, Edward appeared and I leapt at him, I was so excited to see him after this week. "Glad to see me, Swan?" He asked with a smile in his voice and I laughed at myself.

"You've been off being popular all week; meanwhile I get to watch Alice mind-fuck Jasper because it's the only action she can get."

Edward laughed and then tried to silence the laughter as we stood next to each other. "You should come play softball with us tomorrow, it'll be fun and we'll get to spend more time together."

I thought seriously about his offer and then agreed, being rewarded with a smile that melted my heart. Edward and I had always been so easy, as easy as breathing, but the complication that puberty and our weight loss had added to the mix made me feel like he was slipping away. We sat there for a few minutes, not really saying anything, just enjoying the time together when I stood up. "Okay, I think we've tempted fate enough for one night, I'll see you tomorrow at the softball field."

"Thanks Swan, sleep tight." With that, he headed off the opposite way to his cabin as I scampered back and somehow climbed in the window without waking anyone.

Alice and I walked up the softball field just as Carlisle was picking team captains. Edward and Jake Black were chosen and as they had to alternate between boy and girl to keep the teams even, I was Edward's first choice. Ten minutes and a few groans later, the teams were picked and Alice and I went out in the outfield so we could avoid having to catch too many balls. As we settled in, I couldn't help but notice girls like the Denali's, three sisters who've been coming to camp here since before I had, along with Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley shooting daggers at me for no reason whatsoever.

We managed to get through the first two innings without anything getting hit to the outfield, so we ran in and I prepared to bat this inning. While Alice was up, Edward grabbed me a helmet and a bat and tried to explain to me how to swing the bat properly. "So I need you to choke up on the bat and then just swing level and you'll be fine. Let me show you."

I had expected Edward to take the bat from me and demonstrate it, but what happened was _so_ much better. Edward stood behind me and wrapped his arms around mine with his large hands resting over my small ones and my ass firmly pushed into his crotch. He showed me how to swing twice before Carlisle called that I was up.

Walking up to bat, the other team was watching me warily, as none of them had ever seen me play sports much at camp. I tightened my grip and waited for the first pitch as I swung and missed it. From third base, I heard Kate Denali call out; "Move in, she's swatting flies!"

Watching the entire field move up was almost as bad as being called one of the many names they'd developed over the years, but from behind me and over at first I heard the call of my two best friends. "Come on, Swan." "You can do it!"

I smiled to myself and got ready, missing the second pitch, but by much less this time. I squinted my eyes as the calls from both teams continued. The third pitch came and I actually connected, although it went bounding down the third base line as I ran towards first base. I don't actually know what happened, because I was so focused on making it to first without falling that I hadn't seen it coming, but as I neared first base I felt a sharp pain in my chest and was instantly on the ground gasping for breath.

I wasn't 100% sure of what I heard next as there was a lot of screaming, but I remember Alice's ranting threats at Kate and her indignant claim that she released too early and that was why the ball hit me instead of the first baseman's glove. Carlisle's face appeared above me and he lifted me to the golf cart waiting on the side of the field and drove us back to the infirmary. Carlisle's day job as a doctor and Esme's as a nurse made it easier because there was always one of them there if someone got injured. I heard Edward arguing to come with us, but Emmett, who had come over from the basketball courts to see what the screaming was about said that everyone was going to run drill on throwing as it seemed that 'some people' were having trouble.

We left around that time and I closed my eyes in the back of the cart while Carlisle muttered to himself. When we arrived at the main building, Esme heard the cart and was down the stairs before it was fully stopped. "Oh my goodness, what happened Carlisle?"

"Kate Denali pegged her in the chest. Would you mind looking her over, she's been wheezing a little bit."

Esme nodded and took my arm, leading me into the building and proceeding to check me over. There wasn't any damage, except the wicked bruise that was already blooming on my chest, but Esme said I could hang out for a while until the embarrassment passed. _That_ made me laugh. "Esme, if you're gonna let me hide out that long, you may want to send to cabin 6 for my stuff."

"Nonsense, you know how life is at camp, everything is accelerated. You have a lifetime to live in one summer, the couple everyone expects to last breaks up, sees other people and gets back together twice in 10 weeks. Nothing bad ever lingers that long because there's too much activity." She smiled down at me as Alice and Rosalie came in to check on me.

"I'm not responsible for what I do next time I'm near that cow!" Alice bellowed and I laughed, which hurt a little, causing me to wince.

"Alice, breathe, I could always sit on her." I said sarcastically and Rosalie swatted at my arm.

"Bella Swan you look amazing this summer, not that you weren't always a beauty, but seriously, don't let those heifers upset you. Edward's worried sick about you too, Emmett sent him off on a walk with some of the younger campers to keep him from hitting Kate for that throw. We're heading to lunch; do you want us to bring you something back?"

I shook my head and smiled. "No thanks, I'm gonna wait until dinner."

Soon I was alone again and it wasn't until I heard his voice that I even realized I'd fallen asleep. "How is she?"

"She's napping now, but nothing more than a nasty bruise." Esme's sweet voice whispered.

"I wanted to see if she wanted to walk with me to dinner, but if she's still sleeping then-"

"I'm awake." I yawned and sat up, fixing my ponytail and wiping the sleep out of my eyes. "I think."

They both laughed and Edward held out his hand, which I readily took. Once we got outside, he looked at me and I saw his eyes bug out before he turned me to face him. "Christ, does it hurt?" His fingers floated across the bruise and I nodded.

"A little, but I'll survive." I smiled, but it didn't seem to change his mood.

"Bella, I'm sorry, this is all my fault."

I looked up to see the pain in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"They see how close we are and they're taking it out on you. The girls are jealous of what we have and the guys are too." I scoffed and he stopped me again. "Bella, they're trying to figure out how to stop you from seeing them as the guys who've tormented you for years so they can ask you to one of the dances or something."

I rolled my eyes as we made it to the Mess Hall and walked in, all eyes falling on our joined hands. I felt him drop my hand right before he walked to his table and I walked to mine, taking my place next to Alice. Once again, I didn't eat much and when we headed back to the cabin, Alice and I hung back only to catch a very interesting conversation between Mike and Tyler.

"Of course he got some last night, he's being quiet about the details but they went out after lights out and then he shows her how to bat like that this morning and then is so desperate to see her after that shit with Kate. I mean fuck, have you seen how Belly _developed_, I'd love to spend some time in the 'valley amid her mighty peaks,' if you know what I mean?"

Tyler laughed and then questioned. "I know, right! But do you think he stayed up north or did he move between the southern peaks?"

They both laughed and then shook their heads as we rushed back to the cabin where I changed and climbed into bed, throwing the blankets over my head as Rosalie did her bed check and turned off the light. As soon as the lights were off Alice climbed into my bed and held me as I cried. "Do you think he told them something?"

"He said that they saw how close we were and that they were taking it out on me…but it didn't start until after last night, so I'm not sure."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

The next two days were Edward free and I was starting to wonder why he was avoiding me when I was heading to the theater after arts and crafts to meet up with Alice and Jasper and I saw it. Tanya Denali and Edward were leaned against the back of cabin 22 kissing. I almost got sick as I ran to the theater, bursting through the doors and exploding into tears.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Jasper looked frantic as he pulled me to him and rocked me back and forth.

"He…Tanya…making out…" I couldn't form sentences but Alice didn't seem to need more than that as she disappeared only to come back five minutes later to pull me from Jasper's arms and took over consoling me. That night, Jasper made frozen pizza and we hung out in the theater working on the plans for the first talent show of the summer and this year's musical, _Annie_. Auditions were tonight for the talent show with the show itself on Saturday, which wasn't a big deal as it was in the theater and most people just sang along with a karaoke version that was found on YouTube or a CD they brought from home.

I was in the middle of creating the sign-up sheet when it hit me. It was corny and something straight out of a movie, but I was going to do it. I ran off to get us some paper from the office, hoping to keep my idea a secret until it was necessary to let the others know. I was halfway back when Jake Black caught my attention, he had a really determined look in his eye and when I smiled at him, he seemed to decide something as he walked over to me. "Bella, I'm sorry about whatever it is going on between you and Edward, I know you used to be close."

"Don't mention him. I really don't want to talk about that."

He nodded and then smirked. "If you ever want to get back at him, I'm your man."

I cocked my head at him and smiled back, checking to see that the coast was clear before I asked my question. "You mean that?"

"Sure, why?" He asked, a little confused.

Without even thinking I leaned forward and Jake's lips were on mine. It was the exact opposite of the kiss I had once shared with Edward and that was exactly what I was looking for. Jake held onto my waist with one hand and my hair with the other, while I pulled him closer, wanting to see what the difference was. It was a nice kiss, but there wasn't anything there, which reminded what had been there all those years ago and I started to cry again. Jake pulled back and froze.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Jake whispered to me before I shook my head.

"Nothing, I just needed to figure something out. I'm sorry about that."

"No problem, he's been the one since you were 12. Everyone knows there's something there. Plus, Leah's being a bitch so I'm single at the moment."

I shook my head remembering Esme's words and smiled at him, I didn't even know they'd gotten together. "Don't worry, you'll be together and breaking up again before the split in the session."

Jake laughed and patted me on the back. "God, I hope so. Fighting with her is more fun than doing anything with anyone else."

Joining in his laughter, I said a quick good-bye and arrived at the theater just in time to print out the sheets and get in the booth so I could run the music for the auditions. We had eight acts for the talent show, not including what Alice and Jasper had dubbed "M.A.B." for "Mad Ass Bella" and Rosalie got in her chuckles as Alice declared Edward to be an ass that we were no longer talking to. Before bed, Rosalie checked in to see that I was really okay.

"I swear, Rose, the only thing I need is a little help with my make-up for the talent show."

She smiled and pulled me into a hug. "Done, babe. Whatever it is you have planned, hopefully it'll leave him wondering what took him so long to open his damn eyes."

I smiled at the closest thing I've had to a big sister and then got ready for bed.

Tanya spent the next few days clinging to Edward's side whenever she was near him and Alice and I spent a lot of time in the theater getting ready for the _Annie _audition. And after hearing my act for the talent show, Jasper was insisting that I audition for it as well. The only downside was Edward always played the piano for the shows which would mean a lot of time with him during rehearsals.

I hadn't agreed, but I knew there was no saying no to Jasper, so I was simply biding my time.

On the morning of the Talent Show my phone buzzed, but I was too busy watching Alice dig through her clothes and shoes to find something she could use with my bare wardrobe. It buzzed twice more during that hour before Rose walked in with a smile on her face. "Still searching for something fun for her to wear."

I rolled my eyes as Alice hopped up. "I wanted it to be a little edgy, to match the mood of the song, even if it is a show-tune, it's got bite to it and I want her to look awesome when she tells him what's up in front of everyone."

"Try this." Rose snickered and then threw a Camp T-shirt at Alice, but as soon as she held it up, we both squealed. She had cut clean across the top, so only part of the sleeve cuff was left and it sat right above my breasts. Alice quickly threw me a tank and then pinned the t-shirt to the tank so it would stay up and I was instantly in love, add to that the one cute pair of boots I brought and jeans and I was ready to go.

Changing back for lunch, we walked across the camp to the Mess where Edward was waiting outside. "Why are you ignoring me?" He demanded as we approached.

"Next time you lie to people about us, make sure they aren't gossips." I sneered it at him and walked inside before he could say anything else.

After lunch, Alice and I went to the lake, which was a mistake because Edward was there, but this was one of the blocks when _she_ wasn't signed up with him, which meant that he was free to come over and talk.

"Mind explaining that little comment from earlier?" Edward's brow was furrowed and part of me wanted to reach out and smooth it like I used to, but I resisted.

"I heard Mike and Tyler the day after you asked me to meet you. So how far did you get with me in that little lie? And what I'd like to know is how you explained what 'happened' with us and then getting together with Tanya so quick? Did you just tell them I was a lousy lay?"

I was trying to keep it together, but he jumped in too quickly. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Why don't you ask your buddies?" I knew that if I stayed any longer I'd lose it so I ran off, hiding in the showers until Alice found me and brought me my toiletries so I could get ready for tonight.

After we finished in our cabin, Alice and I went to the theater and I got ready for the show. Alice was going to be in charge of the music while Jasper ran the lights, Rosalie was Stage Managing and Emmett was the emcee, which I knew would be interesting.

By the time the show started, I was a nervous wreck, but Rose kept me breathing until finally I heard Emmett's announcement. "Alright, this little lady has been coming to camp for years and has finally decided to emerge from the booth and grace us with a song. Here she is, the one…the only, Bella Swan!"

There was a general commotion as I walked up to the curtain just as it parted, revealing the audience as the intro ended and I opened my mouth to begin.

_How can people be so heartless  
How can people be so cruel  
Easy to be hard  
Easy to be cold_

I looked up and scanned the crowd, trying desperately not to find Edward too early, knowing I'd lose my nerve if I saw his reaction too soon.

_How can people have no feelings  
How can they ignore their friends  
Easy to be proud  
Easy to say no_

_And especially people  
Who care about strangers  
Who care about evil  
And social injustice  
Do you only  
Care about the bleeding crowd?  
How about a needing friend?  
I need a friend_

Locking eyes with Edward as I sang "I need a friend," I steeled myself to get through the second verse, focusing on him for the rest of the song if I could manage it._  
_

_How can people be so heartless  
You know I'm hung up on you  
Easy to give in  
Easy to help out_

_And especially people  
Who care about strangers  
Who say they care about social injustice  
Do you only  
Care about the bleeding crowd  
How about a needing friend?  
I need a friend_

I saw Edward turn away and I felt some small twinge that this was hurting him, but I was hurting too and this seemed to be the only way to tell him.

_How can people have no feelings  
How can they ignore their friends  
Easy to be hard  
Easy to be cold  
Easy to be proud  
Easy to say no_

The applause erupted and I blushed, resting the mic on the stage as I bowed, but as I stood back up I saw an unreadable look in his eyes and I knew as Tanya tightened her grip on his arm and Mike and Tyler stood laughing to his right that I had lost him. Not even this _very_ public display could make him see my side and care. That thought overwhelmed me and I bolted off the stage before the curtain could close and flew out the back door.

Running in the direction of the bunks, I knew that I didn't want to face anyone and that would be the first they looked, so I veered off and headed to the lake. I sat by the lake and cried over the loss of my best friend and my first guy I'd ever allowed myself to believe I had a chance with when I heard the last thing I wanted to at that moment…his voice.

"Bella! Bella, where are yo-" His call was cut short by what was likely his finding me on the dock, as I hadn't turned to him. I knew I couldn't outrun him, but I hoped that he'd take the hint and not follow if I fled again. Hoping off the end of the dock, I ran in the direction of the cabins but his arm caught mine and I spun around to face him.

"What are you doing here? You wouldn't want Tanya thinking something was going on."

"What in the hell does _Tanya_ have to do with us?" He yelled at me for the first time in I don't know how long time, venom seeping into his normal velvet tone.

"She's your girlfriend, and there is no us!" My voice broke on the last word and I turned away from him, not wanting to see the confirmation in his eyes.

"No she's not, she told me that if I followed you out here than she was done with me. Obviously, she didn't like the third person in our relationship." My head snapped around and our eyes met, he was pleading with me to understand what he was saying, but I was clueless.

"What are you talking about?" I shook my head, trying to find sense in his mixed signals.

"How in the fuck did this get so screwed up? This was supposed to be our summer. But everything's just gotten in the way so I guess this is the only thing left to do." Edward let go of my arm and both of his hands cupped my cheeks as he held my gaze. "Bella, I've liked you since the first day of camp when we were 12, but I didn't think you'd want to date someone who looked like I did back then. I've spent the last four summers wanting to kiss you and the year I finally have the self-esteem to tell you how I feel I lose my balls the instant I see you at the bus station. I can't tell you what the deal with Tanya was because I don't know…I just didn't want to be alone again this summer and every time I tried to be with you all it did was hurt you. I thought they'd leave you be if we weren't spending time together, but that meant that I didn't have my best friend when I really needed her."

"Edward, you've hurt me so many times…never getting to see you, and then having a front row seat to your make-out session with Tanya, I'm not saying that I don't understand, because believe me, I do-"

"Shh. Don't put yourself down, it was all so new to me…I'd never been the 'hot' guy anywhere. That doesn't lessen how amazing you look, because you are a fucking knockout, but I fell for all that bullshit and forgot the one person who was there when no one else was. I'm an idiot, and hearing you sing that song tonight…it broke my heart. I hate seeing you hurt and it's so much worse when I know I caused it. Could you ever forgive me?"

I stood there actually debating if I could let him in so quickly, but the answer was yes. I needed him as much as he needed me and if we stopped being stupid for long enough to actually talk to each other, we were pretty good together. "Next time, just talk to me, okay, because I can't take you leaving me like that again. I need you, Edward."

I leaned up on my toes and he guided my lips to his as soon as he realized what I wanted. It was a simple kiss at first, but it soon became heated as we clung to each other and tried to make up for the time we wasted.

The kiss was interrupted by the beam from a Maglite causing both of us to break apart as Rosalie cut off her flashlight. "I found them both; they were talking down near the lake." She spoke quickly into her walkie-talkie as she smiled. "You make Esme nervous when you run off, B. So is everything all right here?"

"Yeah, we're good." I called up to her.

"I thought we were pretty fucking fantastic myself." Edward muttered under his breath.

"I don't need the Spanish Inquisition when I get back, so hush." I whispered and then turned to kiss his cheek. "See you here tomorrow."

We walked back to Rosalie and it was too soon that he had to turn towards the boys cabins, leaving me alone with Rose. "So, should I be worried or excited?"

"Excited. He's realized that he screwed it up big time already and that one more fuck up could be the last."

"Glad to hear it, by the way, you won tonight." I looked up, astonished, and Rosalie laughed. "Don't be surprised, and Jasper's already told Carlisle that you were going to be in the big Camp VAMP show."

I rolled my eyes as I walked into the cabin to see Alice bouncing on her bed. "It worked didn't it? He had a big blow out right after you left and then followed after you."

"Breathe, Alice. I guess you could say it worked…although the plan was not to run from the theater and end up in a screaming match by the lake."

"But the kiss was nice?"

I stared at her in shock. "How did you-?"

"Your lips are swollen and Rose is smiling like the cat that ate the canary."

I simply nodded as the other campers entered and we both climbed under the covers. "It was amazing."

Alice squealed as Rose said goodnight to everyone and turned off the lights.

Waking up the next morning, our cabin made it to the Mess before Edward's so I began to eat until I felt eyes on me and turned to see Edward walking back with his tray, smiling over at me. When breakfast was over, Edward came to our table and led me to the lake where we both had our first block. I was nervous about how people would act, but Edward simply sat down on the grass and pulled me down next to him.

"Edward, I don't want to make a scene." I whispered as he moved even closer to me.

"We're not going to cause a scene; I'm just kissing my girl. And if any of these assholes try to start shit, I'll end it right here. I refuse to let them ruin any more of your summer."

As soon as the words left his mouth his lips were on mine and I reveled in the feel of it. I could taste his mint chapstick and combined with the amazing flavor that was entirely Edward, I was getting a contact high. Edward's tongue grazed my lip and I gasped, allowing him the access to my mouth he wanted. Finally getting to really kiss him after so long was too much for me to take in. As we broke apart to breathe, I looked over to see Alice sitting down closer to the water all alone. "Come on." I tugged on his hand as I stood up and he shot me a confused look.

We walked down to Alice and I kicked off my flip flops next to her towel. "You coming, Brandon? We're gonna cool off in the water."

She looked up and smiled, expecting that I wouldn't hang out with her now that I got Edward. "Sure!"

We stripped off our clothes while Edward took off his shirt and I felt his hands on my sides as he noticed the exposed skin. "Where has this been hiding?"

"I wasn't going to wear a bikini unless there was someone I wanted to see it." I smiled as we headed down to the water and spent the next 20 minutes splashing each other and laughing.

Edward and I spent the first week of our relationship making sure that Alice wasn't feeling left out. We'd include her as often as possible and then run off for some alone time. It was a nice balance and Alice knew how to make herself scarce.

Edward and I saw a lot of each other as rehearsals for _Annie_ began and I was cast as Miss Hannigan while he was firmly entrenched at the piano.

As it neared the five week point, I was blissfully happy. I had my two best friends, one of whom was my boyfriend and the other a super cool chick, and I was having fun at camp in a way I never had before.

Said boyfriend was taking me out on a nature walk during our off hours and I was excited to get to spend some time alone with him, especially since he loved these woods. We had been walking for almost a half an hour when we reached this steep and really rocky hill. "Where are we going now?"

Edward laughed at my question as he switched his backpack to his front. "Up there. Jump on."

"Edward, that's too steep to climb, especially with me on your back."

Edward smiled at me and then bent down. "I promise its fine. Now come on, I have a surprise for you up there."

Begrudgingly, I climbed on his back as he climbed up on all fours and finally pulled us up to the top where I immediately gasped. On the top of this little cliff face was a meadow with wildflowers and soft grass that was overgrown. "Edward, it's beautiful."

"I hoped you'd like it." I climbed off his back and he took the bag off his front and pulled out a sheet for us to sit on. "I love it up here. I spent a lot of time up here thinking about how bad I'd screwed things up with you."

"Shh. Don't go there, we're together now, that's all that matters." I took his face in my hands and began kissing him. It was something I never tired of and as he pulled me on top of him I thoroughly enjoyed the way his hands ran up and down my sides.

I pulled away from his perfect lips to rest my ear against his chest, the sound of his pounding heart echoing through me. His hands stilled on my back as he pulled me tight against him. "God, I love you Bella."

I sighed as he spoke the words for the first time, burrowing into his chest even further. "I love you too, Edward. I always have."

At my words, Edward rolled so that he was now above me, kissing me with a renewed fervor. His lips were desperate on mine as he nipped at my lips and sucked the bottom one into his mouth. Overwhelmed by the feelings I was experiencing, I bucked and Edward hissed, making me immediately worried that I'd done something wrong. Then I saw his eyes. "Bella."

"Say it, Edward."

"I want you, Bella. I _need_ you, right now!" He looked almost pained and I knew he was worried about rushing me.

"I need you too, Edward. I want you to be my first."

Edward looked at me as if I was something to eat, but his brain was still working way too hard. "Are you sure?"

I reached into my back pocket for my wallet and opened it, digging out my prize. "Sure enough to steal from Rose's stash. Her and Emmett don't exactly count how many get used."

His eyes got wide and then he kissed me again, taking the condom and placing it on the grass. Sitting up on his knees, he pulled off his shirt and I sat up and took off mine as well before shimmying out of my shorts. I smiled at the astonished look on Edward's face as he stood up and dropped his own shorts, leaving us in nothing more than or underwear.

Resting next to me on the sheet, Edward focused in on my breasts and trailed his fingers over the satin cup and sighed. His hands grew a little more adventurous with the next few passes until I reached behind me and undid my bra. Throwing it with my other clothes, I took his hand and kneaded my breast with him, letting him know he could be a little rough.

Taking my cue, he massaged my left breast as he leaned down to kiss the right. The moment his lips touched my flesh, my nipple pebbled under his mouth and he took it into his mouth gently, causing a moan to escape me. Edward looked up in awe before moving to my left breast and repeating the action. I felt Edward's hardness pressed against my leg and remembered hearing stories about guys who came before they even started their first time, so I decided not to wait any longer.

"Edward, please." Our eyes met and I took off my underwear as he did the same, turning away so I had a moment to prepare before he saw me completely naked for the first time. As I turned back, I caught sight of his erection and gasped at the same time he did.

"Fucking beautiful." He muttered and I laughed, which caused his head to shoot up and our eye to meet again.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." I smiled and Edward guided me to lay back on the sheet while he tore the wrapper off the condom and put it on his very noticeable erection. Once he was ready, I opened my legs to him and he settled between them. My heart was pounding so hard that I could feel it in my ears and as he positioned himself I was petrified that I'd pass out before we got to do this.

Of course, it was all over-reaction as he took a deep breath and entered me just enough so the tip was in. We both sucked in a ragged breath and I was instantly happy my mom was one of those crazy 'talk about sex with your kids' kind of parent who got me a vibrator for Christmas. Because as embarrassing as that was, I was better prepared for having Edward enter me for it. He inched forward and the stretching was what I was worried about, afraid he might just tear me a new one, but as he pushed the rest of the way in, the tension subsided.

Edward stayed still for what felt like an eternity as he adjusted to the sensations that being inside me caused until finally, he pulled out and began to thrust. I let out a deep moan as he began to move and he matched me sound for sound.

Edward tried to keep the pace slow, probably to prolong it as long as possible, and just as I started to feel it build up, Edward twitched inside me and then stilled again. I saw him breathing deep and squeezing his eyes shut in concentration and I smiled that he was trying to hold out for me, but I knew he was too close to last that long so I whispered the words that would free him of the guilt. "Let go baby."

At the sound of my voice, Edward moved again, faster this time and I felt the ache continue to build as Edward pulsed inside me, thrusting wildly and tensing as he came. Edward collapsed on top of me and I wrapped my arms around him.

After he recovered, he pulled out and held me close to him. "I'm sorry I couldn't hold on long enough for you to enjoy it."

He had that pained look in his eyes and all I wanted to do was take it away. "Edward, I did enjoy it…it was amazing. And just think we have 5 weeks to work on your stamina."

As soon as I spoke the words his face lit up and he kissed me forcefully. "That, right there, is why I love you; you always know exactly what to say to cheer me up."

"Ask Jasper to help with props tomorrow…I'm sure I can talk Alice into ditching, and it'll take all afternoon to dig out the items we need from the attic." I winked as we began to get dressed.

"You're really going to wear me out between now and August 15th, aren't you?" His smile was the widest I'd even seen it as he fastened his shorts.

"I'll need plenty of memories for our long, late-night chats once we go home…it's not like we'll be boring each other with the regular school stories this year."

"Swan, I like the way you think. Now let's get back down before they send a search party for us."

And with that we descended from our magical afternoon on the mountain and re-entered reality.


End file.
